What I Completed This Lesson - Planning

Scenes 5 & 8:

·         Filler scenes for where the stick figure walked

·         Did this without having to physically move the figure as it was too time consuming

·         Didn’t have time to make him walk the whole way

·         Decided to just show how he got there

Scene 6:

·         Scene where he walks into the locker room

·         Challenging to film because it was outside and there were natural happenings that I could not prevent

·         Had to reshoot a few times because of background interference

·         Would have had the camera behind him as he was walking in but I couldn’t show the wire and blu tack on the back

Scene 7:

·         Scene in the locker room

·         Added a bell sound in here – signal the end of a lesson

·         Only filmed the feet to show how small the figure is

·         Stick figure is against the walk to show he is scared

·         Took a few tries to capture the walking properly

·         Shaky to show he is outside and outside his comfort zone

Scene 9:

·         Scene where the stick figure climbs back into the classroom

·         Used blu tack for the climbing part to keep him still and in position

·         Leaf in the background moves quite a bit – didn’t have time to fix it

·         One of my favourite scenes and was fun to film

·         Set up the camera in the classroom to show him climbing

·         Had the camera in front of him because of the wire and blu tack on the back of him

Scene 10:

·         This is also a filler scene

·         It is a pan around the classroom to show where the stick figure walked – again, it would be too time consuming to making him walk that far

·         Not a very long scene and didn’t take long to shoot

·         Shot it from the door right around to where he was walking to

Scene 11:

·         This is the scene where he climbs up the post

·         This is one of the final scenes of the animation

·         This is the last scene where he is doing a lot in the ‘real world’

·         He walks into the scene and realises how tall the pole he has to climb is

·         Zoomed in on his face to show how shocked/scared he is

·         Photoshopped in the scared expression

·         Used blu tack to keep him attached to the pole

·         Climbed the pole a bit too fast
·         Shot to show how tall the pole was – followed the post up

Scene 12:

·         This is the scene where he climbs onto the table off the pole and falls back into the paper, which is then taken by a person

·         Used blu tack to keep him in place

·         Used the wire to slowly lower him back into the paper

·         A hand is used to take him away again – the person has come back for him after class

·         Only show the hand of the person so you can still see the figure

What I completed this lesson

WHAT TO PUT IN THE DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY

·      

    Create a title image for your iBook

·      Cut your animation into scenes

·      Create an iBook chapter for each scene

·      Write a director’s commentary for each scene. This might include some or all of the following

o   What each scene means to you

o   How you shot/animated each scene (What skills you used)

o   How you solved problems

o   What scenes you deleted

o   What you might have liked to do if you had your time over again

·      Insert the animated scene at the end of each commentary

DIRECTORS COMMENTARY:

Title Scene:

·         Drew the title on the paper to show the effect of the animation being drawn

Scene 1:

·         Scene where the stick figure stands up out of the paper

·         Set the camera up above the paper

·         Had a light set up above the paper to make it clearer

·         Had to reshoot the scene a couple of times

·         Took a while to create this scene

·         Had a lot of trouble filming this scene

·         Had trouble keeping the stick figure standing

·         Had trouble photoshopping out the stick that was used to hold it up – colours and shadows

·         Once up – easier to move

·         Fell down – had to reset him

Scene 2:

·         Very short scene

·         Show the emotion of the stick figure

·         He is shocked because he is out of the paper

·         Photoshopped the shocked expression in

·         Took a few goes to get the zooming in right

Scene 3:

·         Scene where the stick figure falls off the table and onto the floor and stands up

·         Didn’t take long to film

·         Changed the camera angle to show different views of what was happening

·         Camera placed on the ground to show the height he was falling from

·         Changed the view to show where he fell to

·         Dropped him to show the effect of him falling to the ground – took photos quickly to catch the falling motion

·         Crucial part of the storyline

Scene 4:

·         Scene where he walks out of the classroom and goes outside

·         Used blu tack to create the look of him jumping down the ledge

·         Used blu tack to make him stay up – and wire

·         One of my favourite scenes

Digitopia Essay Planning

DESCRIBE, ANALYSE, INTERPRETATION, JUDGEMENT

·         The name of the artist – Miwa Matreyek

·         Name of the animation – Digitopia

·         Animation created – 2005

DESCRIBE:

·         Hands – used for a lot of the animation

·         Mountains

·         Science equipment

·         I first notice the use of the hands for everything because they stand out from the rest of the objects in the film. They contrast with the other objects in the film because they aren’t naturally used in the way that they are in the film.

·         The main colours seen in the film are black, white, blue and red. I would describe these colours as calm and sad. Black and white can generally be described as sad shades and are used to convey mystery. The blues in the film are light and can make a tranquil tone in the film. The reds used strongly contrast with the rest of the colours. The rest of the colours are dull and the red is very bright and is used to highlight different aspects of the film.

·         The main shapes in the film are the mountains and the science equipment. The mountains are pointed and defined all around. The edges are jagged and the mountain has been manipulated into the setting of the film. The equipment is very soft and curved around the edges.

·         The lines in this work are the leading lines in the background, directing you to look at the mountains in the work. There are also straight lines on the mountains and many different uses of line throughout the entire film.

·         There are different illusions of texture throughout the film, such as the mountains and the city. The mountains look hard and jagged and the city looks rough underneath the hands.

·         The animation is set during the day as the sky throughout the film is a light blue.

·         The overall mood of the film is calm yet sad, as the colours are calming but the black and white create a depressing atmosphere.

ANALYSE:

·         The artist has used colour in different parts of the film. The main colours that the artist uses are black, white, blue and red. The blue is used in the sky and completed the tranquil tone when used with white. The red used in the science equipment represents the humans and in one part it is used to represent blood. There is also a lot of black and white used together throughout the film in different parts.

·         The colours each have an effect in the film. The blue makes the tone tranquil and the black and white contrast in the film. They each have a meaning and create a mood.

·         The artist uses a variety of shapes in the film. She uses them to represent items in the film and show the texture of them. She also uses the shapes throughout the film to show the different aspects of the film such as the hands and mountains.

·         Lines have been used throughout the piece of work. There are many lines used in the sky to divert your attention. Such as at the very start of the animation when there are lines directing your attention to the flying eye and hands.

·         The artist has used the illusion of texture in the film, in the mountains and in the city. The texture of the mountains has been created to make them look real and the city is made to look rough.

·         The artist used light to set the mood and also to indicate what time of day it was. The mood changed as the light changed. When the light is dark the mood is a more serious tone and when the light is lighter the mood is a lot more calm and tranquil.

·         The overall mood of the work has been achieved by the use of these elements. Each element contributes to the mood of the film in different ways.

INTERPRETATION:

·         The artist was trying to make a statement. She was conveying that if we ever tried to create utopia, everything would be technology and everything would be human and we would turn our backs on nature.

·         It means to me that we should live life the way it was given to us and we shouldn’t try to create perfection, as it will not always go the way we have planned.

·         This relates to me as I live life the way it was given and if anyone ever tried to create perfection I wouldn’t want to be a part of it because perfection is impossible and there will always be something wrong with whatever is made.

·         I feel sad and intrigued. Although the idea of utopia is intriguing the idea the artist has conveyed shows that it is almost impossible. It makes me sad to think that if humans tried to create a utopia, we would turn our backs on nature and not actually have things as perfect as we thought.

·         At the point 2:46, there are animals made out of hands. Throughout the animation there are various things made out of hands that would not normally be like this. There is also an eye in the sky with multiple hands, which relates to Hinduism, which is a religion that the idea of Utopia comes from.

·         I think the artist chose this style to reflect her message and she used these artistic decisions to also reflect her message well.

JUDGEMENT:

·         This animation conveys an important message and will help people see the idea of utopia a lot differently. The message in the film of Utopia becoming a “Digitopia” is an important lesson for people to learn.

·         The work communicates a mood and message that would have value to others. The message is a valuable message that will a have value to others.

·         The subject matter is very interesting and intriguing and most people will be very intrigued by the film.

Intro:

·         Topic sentence: The animator, Miwa Matreyek uses her obscure animations to convey important messages in cryptic ways, such as in her animation “Digitopia”, created in 2005, which communicates a crucial message based on society.

·         Artist name

·         Animation name

·         When the animation was created

·         The animator uses obscure animations to convey important messages

·         What the message of the film is

·         Points of the next paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Emotion/mood:

·         Topic sentence: Matreyek uses different aspects of the film to fabricate the mood, which in turn, sets the meaning of the film in motion.

·         Colours in the film and how they relate to the mood

·         Sound and how it contributes to the mood

·         How the mood relates to the message of the film

·         Concluding sentence

Paragraph 2 – Metaphoric objects and objects:

·         Topic sentence: The artist also uses many metaphoric objects throughout the film, which set the important message in place.

·         The use of hands for everything

·         The animals made out of hands

·         Testing the hands in with the science equipment

·         The use of the eye with many hands – religious element

·         The use of the science equipment

·         The use of the colours in the science equipment

·         The sound

·         How the use of metaphors and objects relates back to the message

·         Concluding sentence

Conclusion:

·         Topic sentence: Throughout the film, Matreyek uses emotion, metaphoric objects and objects to generate a message that will resonate with anyone who views it.

·         The film Digitopia uses these to convey the message

·         Brief description of the message

·         Concluding sentence

Movie Poster Task

Today in class we made movie posters to refresh our Photoshop skills. We went to a random Wikipedia page and that had to be the title of our film and then we went to a random quotes page and the last quote of the page was the quote for our movie. After we'd done this we had to go to Google images and pick a photo for our movie that we thought related to our title and quote. Once we'd done this we needed to Photoshop in the text and change the hue of the image to make it more accustomed to our title and quote. We then had to make it look like a movie poster. This is mine. The title is Hedleyhope Fell and the quote is "An effective way to deal with predators is to taste terrible". I thought this sounded a bit Sci-fi so I found a Sci-fi image and created my poster around that. I also added "Coming soon" and the actor/actresses names at the top to make it look more like a movie poster. Georgina and I also decided to add in "From the director of" with each others movie title to make it seem more like a movie poster. This task was very fun and I had a great time making it. 

Digitopia Essay

The animator, Miwa Matreyek uses her obscure animations to convey important messages in cryptic ways, such as in her animation “Digitopia”, created in 2005, which communicates a crucial message based on society. The message in this film is; if humans ever attempt to create a Utopia, it will become a “Digitopia”. The Digitopia would be a world where humans have taken over everything and a world where humans have turned their backs on nature. The world would also be overrun by technology and science. The animator uses elements of art to express emotion and metaphors in the film, which convey the underlying message of the film.

Matreyek uses different aspects of the film to fabricate the mood, which in turn, sets the meaning of the film in motion. The use of colour in the film sets a sad and serious tone to the animation. The use of black and white throughout the film conveys the depressing mood of the animation. Bright colours are generally associated with joy and hope, whilst the gloomy colours of the film show the depressing tone. There is also light blue and red used in the film. The use of the blue in the sky sets a calm tone and the red stands out greatly from the dark and light colours. The red stands alone and contributes to the sad mood. The sound also plays a part in the mood of the animation. The music in the background is slow, soft and repetitive, creating a mysterious and sorrowful tone. The word “Utopia” is also repeated throughout the song, which also contributes towards the meaning of the animation. These aspects of the film help create the mood, which in turn contributes to the message. The mood of the film shows that the meaning of the film has a sad and serious tone.

The artist also uses many objects throughout the film, which set the important message in place. Matreyek uses hands for everything in the animation. At one stage, the hands are used to create animals, showing how if a Utopia was made, humans would take over. There is also a stage in the film where scientists are testing hands. This shows the part of the message where science will also take over. There is a lot of science equipment throughout the animation, which also contributes to the scientific part of the message. The use of the eye in the sky with many hands coming off of it symbolises a God in a religion such as in Hinduism. The eye shows the meaning of religion in the film, which also helps to show the meaning in which humans will take over everything and religion may have a part. Hinduism is also a religion that believes in Utopia. The objects used in Digitopia help to convey the important social message of the film.

Throughout the film, Matreyek uses emotion, metaphoric objects and objects to generate a message that will resonate with anyone who views it. The film Digitopia uses these aspects to convey the message of a Utopia becoming a Digitopia if ever attempted. The message of the film is one that is very important in today’s society and the film Digitopia should be viewed by many people. The visual elements are a very important part of the animation and contribute greatly to the mood and message. 

Digitopia

I have chosen to write my essay this term on Digitopia. I am in the process of completing the DAIJ planning document. I am currently doing the A part of the document which is Analyse. Once I have completed the DAIJ document I will start my essay on Digitopia. 

Questions on the animations

Digitopia:

1. The film made me feel very intrigued and I couldn't stop watching.

2. The most striking element of the film was the use of hands for everything.

3. The science parts, the way the hands made animals and the surreal angel.

4. I think that the artist was trying to say that if humans ever tried to create a utopia it would be filled with technology and just humans. There would be no animals or anything because we would try to control everything.

5. Creepy, weird and intriguing

6. Yes. It was singing utopia and impacted my interpretation of the message.

7. It was extremely smooth and well made.

8. The animation would have been very well planned.

Circus:

1. The film creeped me out a bit.

2. The use of black and white.

3. The elephant part, the announcer and the title sequence.

4. The animator was trying to explain through the animation that you don't have to be something like a dancer or an actor to be a performer. This is shown in the 'dance number' scene, where the dancers are just the same woman over and over in a normal room. She is neither a dancer, or on a stage. But she is still performing. It is like what Shakespeare said, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women appreciate merely players."

5. Dark and mysterious but also creepy and weird.

6. Sound played an important part in the film, as the sound helped with the mood of the film.

7. Again, the animation was extremely smooth.

8. The animation would have been well planned.

Factory:

1. The film made me feel a bit sad and also intrigued.

2. The way that the workers were made to look like robots.

3. The machine made of a hand, the machines made out of odd objects and the way the workers didn't have mouths.

4. The artist is trying to tell us that factory workers in places like china have very little rights. In the animation the people have no mouths because in reality the workers have no say in the goings on of the company. Also in the animation there is a human hand that is being used as part of the machinery. This suggests that the workers are treated like machines and often have to work like them.

5. The mood is sad and dark.

6. The sound played an important part as it emphasized the actions of the people and machines.

7. The animation was very smooth and made very well.

8. The animation would have been very well planned